Like protagonist Zack Fair himself, the story of a country boy who calls himself SOLDIER-First Class is not a mystery. If you’ve seen Final Fantasy VII or any of its spin-offs, prequels, remakes, or cartoons, chances are you’ll understand the weight of his legacy–coincidence. Only the weight of his sword can match it. . However, if you’re looking for the definitive way to experience it, look no further than Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.
A remake of the 2007 PSP-exclusive Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core Reunion is a faithful retelling of Zack Fair’s story with dramatic visual upgrades, voice acting and voice acting. completeness and some changes in quality of life. Considering the game has been heralded as a great prequel and one of the best titles on the PSP, it’s no surprise that this version won out at making Crisis Core a must-play. modern times for fans of Final Fantasy VII. Crisis Core Reunion not only ported the once-hard-to-find game to some new consoles, allowing a wider audience to experience the title, it also turned the game from feeling like a smaller, handheld experience into one something that can stand proudly next to it. Final Fantasy VII Remake as a worthy companion.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion follows Zack Fair, a skilled young man who quickly rises to the rank of soldier—Shinra’s elite fighting force—to side with other legendary heroes like Genesis, Angeal, and the infamous Sephiroth. language later. However, as information regarding the various experiments Shinra conducted on these elite warriors began to emerge, the four colleagues quickly found themselves at odds with each other. Inevitably, these tensions led to the events of Final Fantasy VII, including Sephiroth going insane, Nibelheim being burned, and Cloud participating in the entire ordeal. However, Crisis Core doesn’t just exist as a precursor to something larger, as it succeeds in weaving a compelling, relatable, and emotionally impacting story of its own.
A lot of this is due to the main character of the game. While Final Fantasy VII’s protagonist, Cloud Strife, tends to be soft-spoken and a bit erratic, Zack is outgoing and extremely likable. Throughout the game, Zack’s mentor, Angeal, likens the boxer to a puppy and affectionately teases him for his hyperactivity and eagerness. However, when compared to the other SOLDIER members—such as the stoic Angeal, the dark and poetic Genesis, and the no-nonsense Sephiroth—Zack is a breath of fresh air, who is widely idolized in the SOLDIER show (especially on the SOLDIER show). especially Cloud’s) for his proficiency, enthusiasm, and encouraging nature. In addition to Shinra, these qualities also make him endearing to our favorite florist, Aerith, who shared a brief but powerful love story with Zack, complete with street phone calls. long and tender letters.
In Crisis Core Reunion, the emotional impact of all these events is amplified by the fact that the entire game is now full of voice acting. While some of the voices may get used to because they’re so different from the original Crisis Core’s performance, the new voice actors have done a great job in making the story more engaging than ever. end. This voiceover also profoundly impacts how we perceive Sephiroth as the story progresses—Tyler Hoechlin’s performance makes him even more empathetic as the truth about his birth is gradually revealed. his light and downward spiral became even more heartbreaking. On that note, I’m pleased to hear that some of the series’ new voice actors have showcased their talents for the characters appearing in Crisis Core Reunion, including Tifa, Aerith, Tseng, Reno, Rude and others. This is part of Square Enix’s effort to make Crisis Core more cohesive with Final Fantasy VII Remake, which the studio has finally done with gusto.
This feat was also achieved by the level of care the team put into making Crisis Core upgrades visually. Every location is lush, intricate, and has been tweaked to be more like the world we see in Final Fantasy VII Remake, making in-game trips to Junon, Costa Del Sol, Nibelheim, Shinra Manor, and Gongaga –areas that we’ve yet to venture into in remakes, but will see in the future – a bit surreal. In Crisis Core Reunion, we’re probably getting our first glimpse of what’s about to happen to us in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which if you’re a die-hard fan then the game itself is well worth it. play. As someone who has spent the past few years yearning to see what it would be like to wander through Shinra Manor, or how epic the streets of Junon will be when Cloud is tasked with marching down them, it is a emotional experience of being witnessed even with less visuals. insight into what’s on the horizon.
Crisis Core’s gameplay system remains intact, albeit streamlined and remapped in great ways. Those unfamiliar with the gameplay will find it unusual but enjoyable. Instead of Final Fantasy VII’s turn-based system, Crisis Core Reunion features a fast-paced action combat style. While the game’s simple hacking, slashing, and blocking is a fun time in itself, with challenging enemies that require quick reflexes and quick planning, Zack can also equip up to six pieces of materia, granting him magic and ability to use in battle. In the original Crisis Core, scrolling through all of these combat options can be daunting, as you’re forced to use R1 and L1 to scroll through them all, then press X on the option you want to use. . In Crisis Core Reunion, this has been completely overhauled, as you can now hold R1 and assign all of these abilities to different buttons to make combat less frustrating and more effective.
Crisis Core Reunion also improves on one of the most notable features of the original game: Digital Mind Wave. Also known as the DMW, it’s a continuous camcorder-style combat aid that lurks in the upper-left corner of your screen during combat. The featured symbols on the slot machines are the characters and summons you encounter throughout the game, with characters that give you breaking limits based on Zack’s relationship with them, and Summons give you the ability to summon them. When your relationship with certain characters is changed, you will be more or less likely to see them appear in the DMW. In theory, it’s a extremely weird feature, as this slot machine is responsible for allowing you to make the hardest moves as well as level up. When it comes to execution, however, the DMW is extremely fun and satisfying, generally working pretty well for players while also introducing an element of randomness into the battles that keep them fresh.
In the original Crisis Core, the feature received some criticism for its “adjustment phase,” which would bring battles to a halt when slots take up the entire screen. These stages no longer exist, although Crisis Core Reunion will still interrupt battles to show short cutscenes when slots fall on certain characters. Because our time with Zack was so short, I found these cutscenes not only fascinating to watch, but necessary. An extrovert, devoted to those around him (just look at how many texts he gets), it’s thanks to this mechanic that Zack’s relationships play a role in his mental state. his–and then the way he fights–is a great choice that tells us a lot about him without adding any extra time to Crisis Core’s story. All of these unique qualities create a stark difference in the gameplay of Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core, which shows just how different Zack and Cloud really are.
Crisis Core also features materia fusion, allowing you to use your leveled materia and combine it with other types to create new, more powerful spells and abilities. While materia grinding in Final Fantasy VII is supposed to be fun, this implementation of the fusion system makes it even more satisfying. Instead of simply raising your Fira’s strength level, materia fusion allows you to cast entirely new spells together, such as combining said Fira with the Assault Twister to create Fira Blade, an ability that deals magic damage without using MP. In addition, you can add items during fusion that, when equipped to Zack, will change his stats. I spent a lot of time managing and merging my materia while playing Crisis Core Reunion, and even though I’m not necessarily a crafter, I enjoyed every minute of it.
However, not all stages of Crisis Core Reunion have aged. For starters, the game has too many random battles. Sometimes I find myself sprinting with Zack pressed against the wall of the game to avoid being in the focus zone activating them. In addition, Crisis Core Reunion has much of side quests. Considering the game was originally made to last on handheld consoles, it’s understandable: Each of these missions lasts a few minutes and would be ideal to play through if you have a few minutes to spare. when going out. Removed from that scene when playing on console, these quests are not as satisfying. And, considering how similar they are even when the background stories are slightly different, they quickly become repetitive.
That being said, Crisis Core Reunion is marketed as a live remake, so it makes sense that it’s all there, and I can’t blame the studio for bringing in so much content. available. Even so, the game will greatly benefit from finding ways to make this content more worthwhile and less outdated. Really, the only feature that I think has been unfortunately neglected by the studio is the game’s dialogue, which can be awkward and very “early 2000s JRPGs”. This is exacerbated by the incredible level of dialogue changes and additions in Final Fantasy VII Remake, which elevate already great characters and deepen the whole story. and easier to understand. While Crisis Core Reunion doesn’t start scaling or reimagining the same way the Remake did, some changes – and less awkward pauses from Aerith – should help a lot.
Finally, if you go into Crisis Core Reunion, expecting a one-on-one remake of Crisis Core, quirks and all, you won’t be disappointed one bit. This is a greatly improved version of a great game, one that all Final Fantasy VII fans wishing for more story will benefit from playing. While you shouldn’t expect any new content revisions or stories (sincere apologies to all of you who were hoping, I admit that neither did I), you can look forward to a great song. Strong praise for the kindest man you will ever meet and the legacy he passed away.
